The big picture
- The Netflix live-action series One piece will serve as an accessible entry point for newcomers to the sprawling world while retaining the fun and free-spirited nature of the popular franchise.
- The first season focuses on the East Blue saga, includes six short story arcs and introduces the crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
- The world of One piece is unique, featuring Devil Fruits that grant powers but prevent the user from swimming, a mysterious four major seas geography and the treacherous Grand Line, and many thrilling adventures yet to come.
The live-action adaptation of the hit manga One piece is coming to Netflix later this month, and considering it’s been over 25 years since the manga first aired, it can feel incredibly intimidating to jump into the sprawling world of Eiichiro Oda. There are over 1000 manga chapters, 1000 anime episodes and even over a dozen movies. Worry not, however, as Netflix’s live-action series will be an accessible introduction to the sprawling world of One piece All the while retaining the free spirit and fun of the popular franchise. There are still many characters, world-building, and storylines that need to be covered. Here’s a breakdown of the crew members and major storylines covered in the Netflix series.
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Who are the Straw Hat Pirates?
Image via Crunchyroll
The history of One piece Follow the Straw Hat Pirates on their adventure in search of the legendary One Piece, the treasure bequeathed by the legendary pirate Gold Roger. It is said that whoever finds his treasure will be crowned Pirate King. The pirate crew is named after Luffy’s distinctive straw hat, which has become one of the most recognizable items in anime history. There are initially five members of the crew, including Luffy, all of whom are added during the series’ first saga. The cast of the series already feels like the found family that the Straw Hats are meant to be. The series will even pay homage to the anime’s original voice actors, as they will reprise their roles for the Japanese dubbing of the series.
Monkey D Luffy (Inaki Godoy) is the adventurous and funny captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. His iconic straw hat, which became the symbol of his pirate crew, was given to him by his role model, the famous pirate Shanks (Peter Gadiot). Luffy dreams of finding the One Piece and becoming the Pirate King. When he turns 17, he leaves his home village to embark on the greatest journey of his life. When he was young, Luffy had eaten the gum-gum fruit, a mysterious devil fruit that turned his body into rubber. This allows him to stretch to ridiculous lengths to deliver powerful blows to his enemies. The Captain of the Straw Hat Crew is truly a fearless and fiercely loyal leader.
Lorenor Zoro (Mackenyu) is the First Officer of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy’s right-hand man and most trusted friend. Before he joined the Straw Hats, Zoro was actually a feared pirate Hunter. However, after Luffy saves him from a cheating marine, he joins the crew and becomes his captain’s most loyal member. Zoro’s ultimate dream is to become the strongest swordsman in the world. He uses a unique form of sword fighting in which he wields three swords at once – one in each hand and one in his mouth. Though Zoro often spends much of his time sleeping and drinking, he is still one of Luffy’s most trusted and powerful friends.
Nami (Emily Rudd) is the navigator of the Straw Hats, helping them traverse the dangerous and mysterious seas of the world. Nami loves money more than anything, even going so far as to steal from Luffy. However, Nami’s love of money is combined with a more altruistic dream as her village is under the control of a dangerous pirate named Arlong (McKinley Belcher III). Arlong forced Nami to make maps for him, and she planned to one day buy her village’s freedom. After joining the crew, she gains the loyalty of Luffy, who helps her free Nami. As much as she cares about making money, Nami also cares deeply about her friends and isn’t afraid to set them straight when needed.
Image via Crunchyroll
usop (Jacob Romero) is the crew’s sniper and wants to keep as much distance between himself and danger as possible. Luffy and the rest of the crew meet Usopp at Syrup Village, where he’s earned a reputation as the “boy who cried to pirates” for all his great but false stories about his adventures and alleged pirate attacks. However, he is legitimately connected to piracy, as his father is on the same crew as Shanks, the pirate who inspired Luffy. After his village is actually attacked by pirates, he works with the rest of the Straw Hats to protect his home. As thanks, he receives a ship called “Going Merry” from one of his dear friends on the island. Usopp joins the crew and the Going Merry becomes the Straw Hat Pirates’ first official ship. Though he may be a coward on the surface, Usopp nevertheless gathers his own fears to help his crew.
Sanji (Taz Skyler) was the last member to be added to the Straw Hats at East Blue when he became their Executive Chef. He worked as a chef on the Baratie, a floating restaurant that crosses the East Blue. One of his most basic beliefs is his refusal to starve. Sanji almost starved to death as a child and will never turn away anyone who is hungry – even if they are an enemy. Sanji refuses to fight with his hands, reserving them for cooking, so his fighting style revolves around quick and powerful kicks. He also has strict rules regarding chivalry, as one of his main characters includes his passion for beautiful women and his strict prohibition on fighting them in any way. Once he joins the crew, he quickly gains Luffy’s trust (partly due to his great cooking skills), while also developing a rivalry with Zoro and a crush on Nami.
How much of the manga will be adapted?
Image via Toei Animation
There are currently over 1,000 manga chapters and anime episodes by One piece, but don’t let that intimidate you. The first season of Netflix One piece will only focus on the first saga of the series: the East Blue saga. This part of the series contains 6 short story arcs that add up to the first 100 chapters of the manga and the first 61 episodes of the anime. However, since the live-action adaptation will feature longer episodes, you can expect a lot of it One piece adventures this season.
The first story arc that the adaptation will cover is the Romance Dawn arc, in which Luffy first begins his journey to becoming the Pirate King. Inspired by a pirate named Shanks, Luffy embarks on his adventure at the age of 17. As he sets out in search of the One Piece, he quickly meets friends and allies like Zoro. Very quickly, he meets a corrupt naval captain and shows that despite their reputation, there are pirates more virtuous than those in the world government.
Image via Shueisha
In the Orange Town Arc, Luffy and Zoro encounter Nami, whose disdain for pirates leads the trio to work together to rid the town of Buggy the Clown, a clown-themed pirate who had taken over the village. With Nami as their new navigator, the trio reach Syrup Village, the next story arc in the manga, while searching for a ship for their crew. There they meet Usopp, whose constant lies endanger his village when the residents ignore his warnings of an impending pirate attack. However, with the help of the crew, they manage to keep everyone safe and are rewarded with the Going Merry, the Straw Hat’s first ship.
After acquiring a new ship, the crew head to the floating restaurant, the Baratie, in their next story arc. Along with Sanji, one of the chefs at the restaurant, they help protect the ship from being overtaken by a rival pirate. There they also meet Dracule Mihawk (Steven Ward), the strongest swordsman in the world, who is Zoro’s greatest obstacle on the way to realizing his dream.
In the end, Nami betrays the Baratie’s crew and leads them to the Arlong Park Arc. The Straw Hats followed Nami back to her home island, which was under the tyrannical control of Arlong and the Fish-Man pirates. As a Fishman, Arlong possesses superhuman strength and endurance, making him a fierce opponent for Luffy and the Straw Hats. The crew struggles to free Nami and her village from his control and to retrieve her friend from his villain’s clutches.
The final story arc covered in Season 1 is the Loguetown arc. The Straw Hats arrive in Loguetown, the place where former pirate king Gold Roger was born and executed. There they must face off against powerful naval captains and former enemies in order to make it to the Grand Line, the next step in their vast adventure.
What makes the world of One Piece so special?
Image via Toei Company
Oda let his imagination run wild in building the world of the series, so there are some key characteristics of the world that make it feel incredibly different from our own. The first is the existence of Devil Fruits, mysterious fruits that give powers to those who eat them. These powers can be incredibly versatile, like Luffy’s gum-gum fruit causing his body to stretch like rubber, or even goofy, with a character on the show literally having the power to transform into a jacket for other people to wear can . However, the powers come at a cost as Devil Fruit users can no longer swim in the sea as seawater nullifies their powers and causes them to sink.
The geography of One piece The world is also mysterious and fascinating. The world is divided into four major seas – the North, South, East and West Blues – with a unique stretch of sea cutting through the center of the globe called the Grand Line. The first season will take place entirely at East Blue and will accompany the crew on their way to the entrance of the Grand Line. The Grand Line is considered the most dangerous place on earth, with powerful pirates, unexplainable weather and incredible mysteries to be discovered.
The One Piece adventure hits Netflix on August 31, but ardent fans should beware as Netflix is announcing international fan screenings starting August 24, which will give people an early glimpse of the epic series.
Source : collider.com